SFO Fly Quiet

FLY QUIET PROGRAM

Program History/Jon C. Long Fly Quiet Awards

Mr. Long joined SFO as the Noise Abatement Officer in 2000. Mr. Long brought his unique management style to SFO, creating a successful dynamic within the noise office, with the citizens of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties, and with the San Francisco International Airport/Community Roundtable. With a background in noise abatement at Sacramento International Airport and an extensive piloting career in the Air Force, Jon’s career spanned many aspects of noise abatement and aviation. Mr. Long worked tirelessly on implementing the Fly Quiet Program at SFO. His dedication to this project is evident in its success. After his untimely passing in June 2003, it is fitting that the Annual Awards be named in his honor, The Jon C. Long Fly Quiet Awards. San Francisco International Airport’s Fly Quiet Program is an Airport Community Roundtable initiative implemented by the Aircraft Noise Abatement Office. Its purpose is to encourage individual airlines to operate as quietly as possible at SFO. The program promotes a participatory approach in complying with noise abatement procedures and objectives by grading an airline’s performance and by making the scores available to the public via newsletters, publications, and public meetings. Fly Quiet offers a dynamic venue for implementing new noise abatement initiatives by praising and publicizing active participation rather than a system that admonishes violations from essentially voluntary procedures.

The overall goal of the Fly Quiet Program is to influence airlines to operate as quietly as possible in the San Francisco Bay Area. A successful Fly Quiet Program can be expected to reduce both single event and total noise levels around the airport.

Fly Quiet reports communicate results in a clear, understandable format allowing for comparisons between airlines over time. Individual airline scores are computed and reports are generated each quarter. These quantitative scores allow airline management and flight personnel to measure exactly how they stand compared to other operators and how their proactive involvement can positively reduce noise in the Bay Area.

(1) The overall noise quality of each airline’s fleet
(1) operating at SFO
(2) An evaluation of single overflight noise level exceedances
(3) A measure of how well each airline complies with the
(1) nighttime preferred noise abatement runways
(4) Assessment of how well each airline adheres to the
(4) Gap Departure
(5) Assessment of how well each airline adheres to the
(1) Shoreline Departure

Fleet Noise Quality Rating

The Fly Quiet Program Fleet Noise Quality Rating evaluates the noise contribution of each airline’s fleet as it actually operates at SFO. Airlines generally own a variety of aircraft types and schedule them according to both operational and marketing considerations. Fly Quiet assigns a higher rating or grade to airlines operating quieter, new generation aircraft, while airlines operating older, louder technology aircraft would rate lower. The goal of this measurement is to fairly compare airlines—not just by the fleet they own, but by the frequency that they schedule and fly particular aircraft into SFO.

Eliminating high-level noise events is a long-standing goal of the Airport and the Airport/Community Roundtable. As a result the Airport has established single event maximum noise level limits at each noise-monitoring site. These thresholds were set to identify aircraft producing noise levels higher than are typical for the majority of the operations.

Whenever an aircraft overflight produces a noise level higher than the maximum allowable decibel value established for a particular monitoring site, the noise threshold is surpassed and a noise exceedance occurs. An exceedance may take place during approach, takeoff, or possibly during departure ground roll before lifting off. Noise exceedances are logged by the exact operation along with the aircraft type and airline name.

SFO’s Nighttime Preferential Runway Use program was developed in 1988. Although the program cannot be used 100% of the time because of winds, weather, and other operational factors, the Airport, the Community Roundtable, the FAA, and the Airlines have all worked together to maximize its use when conditions permit. The program is voluntary; compliance is at the discretion of the pilot in command. The main focus of this program is to maximize flights over water and minimize flights over land and populated areas between 1:00 am and 6:00 am. Fortunately, because airport activity levels are lower late at night, it is feasible to use over water departure procedures more frequently than would be possible during the day. Fly Quiet will provide additional information to help all the parties measure the success of this procedure. Reducing nighttime noise—especially sleep disturbance—is a key goal of SFO’s aircraft noise abatement program.

Aircraft departing SFO using Runways 28 L/R are also considered by the Fly Quiet grading system whenever they use the Shoreline Departure Procedure. This predominately VFR (visual flight rules) departure steers aircraft to the northeast shortly after takeoff, in an attempt to keep aircraft noise away from the residential communities located to the northwest of SFO. By keeping aircraft east of Highway 101, the majority of the overflights, will be experienced by industrial and business parks instead of residential areas.

In order to evaluate each airline’s performance when flying a Shoreline Departure, a corridor was established using Interstate 101 as a reference point. The corridor runs north along 101, beginning approximately one-mile north-northwest of the end of Runways 28 L/R and continuing up into the City of Brisbane.

Aircraft departing SFO using Runways 28 L/R frequently depart straight out using a procedure known as the Gap Departure. This procedure directs air traffic to fly a route that takes them over the area northwest of the airport over the cities of South San Francisco, San Bruno, Daly City, and Pacifica. In an attempt to mitigate noise in this specific area, the Gap Departure Quality Rating has been included as a category in the Fly Quiet Program.

Since “higher is quieter”, aircraft altitudes are recorded along the departure route. Scores are assigned at specified points or gates set approximately one mile apart, with the higher aircraft receiving higher scores.


		FLY QUIET PROGRAM Program History/Jon C. Long Fly Quiet Awards Jon C. Long – Noise Abatement Officer, SFO Noise Abatement Office, 2000-2003 Mr. Long joined SFO as the Noise Abatement Officer in 2000. Mr. Long brought his unique management style to SFO, creating a successful dynamic within the noise office, with the citizens of San Mateo and San Francisco Counties, and with the San Francisco International Airport/Community Roundtable. With a background in noise abatement at Sacramento International Airport and an extensive piloting career in the Air Force, Jon’s career spanned many aspects of noise abatement and aviation. Mr. Long worked tirelessly on implementing the Fly Quiet Program at SFO. His dedication to this project is evident in its success. After his untimely passing in June 2003, it is fitting that the Annual Awards be named in his honor, The Jon C. Long Fly Quiet Awards. San Francisco International Airport’s Fly Quiet Program is an Airport Community Roundtable initiative implemented by the Aircraft Noise Abatement Office. Its purpose is to encourage individual airlines to operate as quietly as possible at SFO. The program promotes a participatory approach in complying with noise abatement procedures and objectives by grading an airline’s performance and by making the scores available to the public via newsletters, publications, and public meetings. Fly Quiet offers a dynamic venue for implementing new noise abatement initiatives by praising and publicizing active participation rather than a system that admonishes violations from essentially voluntary procedures. Program Goals The overall goal of the Fly Quiet Program is to influence airlines to operate as quietly as possible in the San Francisco Bay Area. A successful Fly Quiet Program can be expected to reduce both single event and total noise levels around the airport. Program Reports Fly Quiet reports communicate results in a clear, understandable format allowing for comparisons between airlines over time. Individual airline scores are computed and reports are generated each quarter. These quantitative scores allow airline management and flight personnel to measure exactly how they stand compared to other operators and how their proactive involvement can positively reduce noise in the Bay Area. Program Elements Currently, the Fly Quiet Program consists of five elements. (1) The overall noise quality of each airline’s fleet (1) operating at SFO (2) An evaluation of single overflight noise level exceedances (3) A measure of how well each airline complies with the (1) nighttime preferred noise abatement runways (4) Assessment of how well each airline adheres to the (4) Gap Departure (5) Assessment of how well each airline adheres to the (1) Shoreline Departure Fleet Noise Quality Rating The Fly Quiet Program Fleet Noise Quality Rating evaluates the noise contribution of each airline’s fleet as it actually operates at SFO. Airlines generally own a variety of aircraft types and schedule them according to both operational and marketing considerations. Fly Quiet assigns a higher rating or grade to airlines operating quieter, new generation aircraft, while airlines operating older, louder technology aircraft would rate lower. The goal of this measurement is to fairly compare airlines—not just by the fleet they own, but by the frequency that they schedule and fly particular aircraft into SFO. Noise Exceedance Rating Eliminating high-level noise events is a long-standing goal of the Airport and the Airport/Community Roundtable. As a result the Airport has established single event maximum noise level limits at each noise-monitoring site. These thresholds were set to identify aircraft producing noise levels higher than are typical for the majority of the operations. Whenever an aircraft overflight produces a noise level higher than the maximum allowable decibel value established for a particular monitoring site, the noise threshold is surpassed and a noise exceedance occurs. An exceedance may take place during approach, takeoff, or possibly during departure ground roll before lifting off. Noise exceedances are logged by the exact operation along with the aircraft type and airline name. Nighttime Preferential Runway Use Rating SFO’s Nighttime Preferential Runway Use program was developed in 1988. Although the program cannot be used 100% of the time because of winds, weather, and other operational factors, the Airport, the Community Roundtable, the FAA, and the Airlines have all worked together to maximize its use when conditions permit. The program is voluntary; compliance is at the discretion of the pilot in command. The main focus of this program is to maximize flights over water and minimize flights over land and populated areas between 1:00 am and 6:00 am. Fortunately, because airport activity levels are lower late at night, it is feasible to use over water departure procedures more frequently than would be possible during the day. Fly Quiet will provide additional information to help all the parties measure the success of this procedure. Reducing nighttime noise—especially sleep disturbance—is a key goal of SFO’s aircraft noise abatement program. Shoreline Departure Quality Rating Aircraft departing SFO using Runways 28 L/R are also considered by the Fly Quiet grading system whenever they use the Shoreline Departure Procedure. This predominately VFR (visual flight rules) departure steers aircraft to the northeast shortly after takeoff, in an attempt to keep aircraft noise away from the residential communities located to the northwest of SFO. By keeping aircraft east of Highway 101, the majority of the overflights, will be experienced by industrial and business parks instead of residential areas. In order to evaluate each airline’s performance when flying a Shoreline Departure, a corridor was established using Interstate 101 as a reference point. The corridor runs north along 101, beginning approximately one-mile north-northwest of the end of Runways 28 L/R and continuing up into the City of Brisbane. Gap Departure Quality Rating Aircraft departing SFO using Runways 28 L/R frequently depart straight out using a procedure known as the Gap Departure. This procedure directs air traffic to fly a route that takes them over the area northwest of the airport over the cities of South San Francisco, San Bruno, Daly City, and Pacifica. In an attempt to mitigate noise in this specific area, the Gap Departure Quality Rating has been included as a category in the Fly Quiet Program. Since “higher is quieter”, aircraft altitudes are recorded along the departure route. Scores are assigned at specified points or gates set approximately one mile apart, with the higher aircraft receiving higher scores.





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